Banjo



F. J. HELLER April 22, 1930.

BANJO Filed Nov. 1928 Patented Apr. 22, 1930 UNITED STATES FRANK J.HELLER, or woonnnvnn, NEW YORK BANJO Application filed November a, 1928.Serial No. 316,895.

This invention relates to banjos, and in particular to a tone ringtherefor, over which the membranous head of the banjo is stretched.

An object of the present invention is to provide a banjo having theusual means for stretching a head over the edge of a head rim and, inaddition, adjustably disposed means to support the membranous head atdifferent distances from the edge of the head rim.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flanged ring set in oneend of the head rim, for adj ustably mounting a tone ring over which themembranous head may be stretched.

A further object of the invention is to provide a banjo with a neckrigidly secured to the outside of the head rim and to provide adjustingmeans for the membranous head stretched over the rim, so that theposition of the membranous head may be adjusted relative to thefingering surface of the neck.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a securing meansfor the neck at one side only of the head rim.

lVith these and other objects in view my invention consists in thefeatures of construction and operation set forth in the follow- 0 Engspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of a banjo provided with thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken upon the plane of line 22 of Fig. 1;and

Fig. 3 is a view of the head portion of the banj o, taken from the lowerside thereof.

In the above-mentioned drawing I have shown but one embodiment of myinvention, but it will be understood that the invention can be otherwiseembodied and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining orlimiting the scope of the invention, the claims appended to thisspecification being relled upon for that purpose.

Referring more in detail to the figures of the drawing, I provide a headrim 10, to which the fretted fingering neck 11 may be secured. As shownin Fig. 3, this neck 11 is rigidly attached directly to the outsidecylindrical surface of the rim 10 by one or more screws 12, extendingthrough one wall of the rim. About one edge of the rim 10 is placed aflanged ring of metal 13, and mounted within an inwardly extendingflanged portion thereof are a plurality of set screws 14 or otherthreaded members. The upper surfaces of these screws 14 engage a tonering 15, over which the membranous head 16 may be stretched by meanspresently to be described.

To position the tone ring 15 upon the screws 14;, the ring 15 may becountersunk, to provide recesses for the ends of the screws. Fig. 2shows the threaded members 14 and the ring 15 in operative position. Thering 15 is preferably, and is shown in Fig. 2 as circular in crosssection.

It will be seen from this Fig. 2 that, by adjusting the screws 14 Withinthe flanged ring 13, the position of the .tone ring 15 may be adjustedto agreater or less distance from the end surface of the head rim 10,and that therefore the surface of the membranous head 16 may be adjustedrelatively to the fingering surface of the neck 11.

The membranous head 16 is stretched over therim 10 by means'of astretching ring 17 passing over the upper portion of a flanged ring 18,suitably positioned relatively to the rim 10. This flanged ring 18 restsupon the upper surface of the flanged ring 13. The usual adjustingbrackets 19-provided on banj 0s may be used for stretching themembranous head 16 over the flanged member 18. It will be seen that, bystretching the membrane, it will be drawn down against the tone rim 5and'will also pass over the flanged ring member 18. The membranous head16- may also be further stretched by vertically adjusting the tone ring15 by the threaded members 14. By tightening the nuts on the lower endsof the bracket 19 the ring 13 and the ring 18 will both be drawn downand held firmly against the head rim 10.

I The banjo is preferably provided with a resonator 20in the form of ahollow head. positioned over the opposite end of the head rim 20. Thisresonator 20 is provided with small posts 21, secured at spacedpositions about the inner cylindrical Wall of the resonator 20. By meansof nuts 22 engaging the threaded ends of these posts 21 the resonator 20may be held in position relatively to the flanged annular member 18, andthus held permanently in position relatively to the head rim 10. Largeopenings 28 in the flanged portions of the annular ring member 18 permitsound to pass directly forward from the resonating chamber enclosed bythe resonator 20.

I claim 1. A banjo, comprising, in combination a head rim, a flangedring extending about one edge of said rim, a membraneous head extendingover said rim, means to stretch said membraneous head over said rim, atone ring be tween said flanged ring and said head, and adjusting meansmounted in said flanged ring for varyingthe position of'said head andtone ring relative to said rim.

, 2. A banjo, comprising, in combination, a head rim, a flanged ringextending about one edge of said rim, a menibraneous head extend ingover said rim, means to stretch said membraneous head over said rim, atone ring between said flanged ring and said head, and threaded membersspaced about said flanged ring and engaging said tone ring, for varyingthe position of said head and tone ring relative to said rim.

3. A banjo, comprising, in combination, a head rim, a neck securedthereon, means to secure said neck to said rim located at one side onlyof said rim, :1 membraneous head extending over said-rim, a flanged ringonsaid rim, an annular member surrounding said rim, means to stretchsaid head over said annular member, and means to retainsaid flanged ringand annular member in position against said rim.

4. A banjo, comprising, in combination, a head rim, a neck rigidlysecuredthereon, a membraneoushead extending over said rim, a tone ring.adjus tably mounted on said rim for supporting'said head, a resonatordisposed oppositelyto saidhead, an annular member'on said ri-m,.means tostretch said head over said tone ring and annular member, and means tosecure said resonator to said annular member.

' A banjo, comprising, in combination, a head rim, a neck rigidlysecured thereon, a

nien-ibraneous head extending over said rim, I

a flanged ring secured to one edge of said rim, a tone ring adjustabletoward .and from said flanged ring and Withinsaid head, a resonatordisposed oppositely to :said membraneous head, means to secure saidresonator to said rim, means to stretch said head over said rim, saidstretching means also holding said flanged ring against said rim.

FRANK J. HELLER.

